Selena's Salsa Night

Selena's Guadalajara is a small Mexican restaurant thats easy to overlook as you're driving past on 45th Street. If you havent eaten there, youre not really missing much. But if you like salsa dancing and you havent been there, you should remedy the situation immediately. On weekends, the waitstaff clears away the tables, hits the lights, and starts up the fog machine to transform the restaurant into a dance club. A DJ spins rare salsa records from the 60s and 70s, including plenty of upbeat tempos and the occasional schmaltzy ballad. Selenas is friendly and familial. The patrons are truly there to dancenot to get wasted and hit on one another. And while it draws a predominately Hispanic crowd, everybody is welcomed with open arms. But novices, be warned: Feisty (and slightly intimidating) restaurant owner Laura Santibañez often sneaks away from her bartending duties to salsa with her customersand she doesnt take no for an answer. ERIKA HOBART